Best and worst travel insurance

In this article

How do you find the best travel insurance? What are the best travel insurance policies? Which policies offer the best coronavirus (Covid-19) cover? What our Covid ratings show and don't show What Covid cover is available?

Will travel insurance cover changes to the government's traffic light system? How else can you protect your holiday? How we find the best travel insurance policies Get top money-saving tips from Which?

How do you find the best travel insurance?

It's never been more important to get the right travel insurance in place with your holiday booking - but policies are probably less straightforward now than they've ever been.

To help, we've analysed hundreds of policies, scrutinising over 52 areas of cover in each one.

As well as using our research to find the right insurer for you, doing the following will help you get cover worth owning:

Search widely

Casting a wide net is always advisable when searching for insurance. Using multiple comparison sites to do so is a great start - however, some of us will need to look further afield to find affordable cover.

We've provided tips on how customers with medical conditions can locate difficult-to-find policies, as well as reviews of specialist providers that don't always lie on the beaten path.

Find out more: travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions

Arrange your cover quickly

When you buy a policy, you're not just paying to protect your period of travel - you're also covering unexpected situations that prevent you from setting off. Make sure you have cover in place from the point you've booked your trip.

Check the t&cs

Few of us enjoy reading insurance policy wording, but being acquainted with it is the only real way of understanding what your policy offers and what it doesn't.

If there are specific reasons you've bought the cover, check these sections to make sure they align with your expectations. Also check the policy's general exclusions and conditions. If anything in the policy is unclear, contact the insurer.

Check what protection your holiday provider offers

Travel insurance is designed to be the last port of call - insurers will expect you to have tried recouping what you can through other channels first. It's therefore a good idea to familiarise yourself with the terms of your holiday booking.

What are the best travel insurance policies?

We've compared over 250 travel insurance policies to bring you our best and worst travel insurance tables.

Members can log in to see which insurers and policies genuinely stand out. If you're not already a member, join Which? and get full access to these results and all our reviews.

How we analyse travel insurance

We analyse and rate 52 key elements of travel insurance policies to come up with the overall policy score. We assess how important each individual element is to travellers when choosing and using a travel insurance policy, and weight it accordingly when calculating our total policy score.

Initially, we score all of the product elements out of five, reflecting how competitive each provider is in this area compared with other insurers. Weightings are then applied to the higher and lower element scores to enhance/reduce their impact on the overall policy score.

Policy Score	Covid cover rating (What's this?) How well a policy covers you for typical coronavirus-related disruption. Ratings run from basic (worst) to low, superior and complete (best).	Medical expenses	Airline failure	Missed departure	Cancellation limit
89%	Complete	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£5,000
84%	Complete	£10,000,000	As standard	£5,000	£5,000
82%	Superior	£15,000,000	As standard	£500	£7,500
80%	Superior	Unlimited	As standard	£1,500	£7,500
79%	Superior	£15,000,000	As standard	£500	£7,500
78%	Superior	£15,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£5,000
78%	Superior	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£5,000
78%	Complete	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£5,000/£20,000 (optional extra)
77%	Superior	Unlimited	Not covered	£1,500	£10,000
77%	Superior	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£5,000
76%	Superior	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,500	£7,500
76%	Low	Unlimited	As standard	£1,250	£7,500
76%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,500	£6,000
75%	Low	Unlimited	As standard	£1,250	£7,500
75%	Superior	£20,000,000	Not covered	£1,500	£10,000
75%	Superior	£10,000,000	As standard	£500	£3,000-£10,000
75%	Superior	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£12,000
74%	Superior	£15,000,000	As standard	£500	£5,000
74%	Superior	£10,000,000	As standard	£750	£5,000
73%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,500	£10,000

Policy Score	Covid-19 rating (What's this?) How well a policy covers you for typical coronavirus-related disruption. Ratings run from basic (worst) to low, superior and complete (best).	Medical expenses	Airline failure	Missed departure	Cancellation limit
73%	Superior	£5,000,000	As standard	£500	£3,000 - £5,000
73%	Superior	Unlimited	Not covered	£1,500	£7,500
73%	Superior	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£5,000
72%	Superior	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£10,000
72%	Superior	£15,000,000	Not covered	£850	£25,000
72%	Superior	Unlimited	As standard	£1,500	£5,000 / £15,000 (optional extra)
72%	Superior	£15,000,000	As standard	£750	£5,000
72%	Superior	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£5,000
72%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£7,500
71%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£750	£5,000
71%	Low	£5,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£3,000
71%	Basic	£5,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£5,000 / £20,000 (optional extra)
71%	Superior	£10,000,000	As standard	£750	£3,000
71%	Superior	£10,000,000	As standard	£750	£3,000
71%	Superior	£15,000,000	Not covered	£1,000	£7,500
70%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£6,000
70%	Superior	£15,000,000	As standard	£500	£5,000
70%	Low	£15,000,000	As standard	£1,500	£10,000
70%	Low	£15,000,000	As standard	£1,500	£10,000
70%	Low	£15,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£5,000
70%	Superior	£15,000,000	As standard	£500	£3,000
69%	Low	£15,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£5,000
69%	Superior	£10,000,000	As standard	£525	£1,500
69%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£12,500
68%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£5,000 - £10,000
68%	Superior	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£5,000
67%	Superior	Unlimited	Not covered	£1,000	£7,500
67%	Low	£8,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£2,500
67%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£4,000
67%	Low	£15,000,000	As standard	£1,500	£5,000
67%	Superior	£10,000,000	Not covered	£1,500	£10,000
67%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£5,000
67%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£3,000

Policy Score	Covid-19 rating (What's this?) How well a policy covers you for typical coronavirus-related disruption. Ratings run from basic (worst) to low, superior and complete (best).	Medical expenses	Airline failure	Missed departure	Cancellation limit
66%	Superior	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,500	£5,000
66%	Superior	£15,000,000	Not covered	£1,000	£5,000
65%	Superior	£15,000,000	Not covered	£750	£15,000
65%	Low	£7,500,000	As standard	£500 - £1,000	£5,000
65%	Superior	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£5,000
65%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£500	£3,000
65%	Superior (inc. Enhanced COVID-19 Cover add on) Low (without the Enhanced COVID-19 Cover add on)	£15,000,000	Not covered	£1,000	£5,000
64%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£500	£2,500
64%	Superior	£10,000,000	Not covered	£1,000	£5,000
63%	Superior	Unlimited	Not covered	£750	£5,000
63%	Superior	£10,000,000	Not covered	£1,000	£5,000
62%	Superior	£5,000,000	As standard	£600	£1,500
62%	Superior	£10,000,000	Not covered	£500	£5,000
62%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£5,000
62%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£600	£4,000
62%	Superior	£20,000,000	Not covered	£1,000	£5,000
62%	Superior	£10,000,000	Not covered	£750	£5,000
62%	Superior	£20,000,000	Not covered	£1,000	£5,000
61%	Superior	£10,000,000	Not covered	£750	£5,000
61%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£4,000
61%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£750	£5,000
61%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£750	£3,000
61%	Basic	£10,000,000	As standard	£750	£10,000
61%	Superior	£10,000,000	Not covered	£750	£5,000
61%	Superior (inc. Enhanced COVID-19 Cover add on) Low (without the Enhanced COVID-19 Cover add on)	£10,000,000	Not covered	£1,000	£3,000
61%	Superior	£10,000,000	Not covered	£750	£5,000
60%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£500	£2,000
60%	Superior	£10,000,000	Not covered	£300	£5,000
60%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£750	£4,000
60%	Superior	£15,000,000	As standard	Not covered	£2,000
59%	Superior	£20,000,000	Not covered	£1,000	£5,000
59%	Low	£10,000,000	Not covered	£750	£5,000
58%	Superior	£10,000,000	Not covered	£750	£2,000
58%	Superior	Unlimited	Not covered	£500	£2,500

Policy Score	Covid-19 rating (What's this?) How well a policy covers you for typical coronavirus-related disruption. Ratings run from basic (worst) to low, superior and complete (best).	Medical expenses	Airline failure	Missed departure	Cancellation limit
58%	Low	£5,000,000	As standard	£750	£3,000
58%	Superior	£7,000,000	Not covered	£1,000	£5,000
58%	Low	£10,000,000	Optional extra	£750	£5,000
58%	Low	£5,000,000	As standard	£500	£3,000
58%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£500	£5,000
58%	Superior	£5,000,000	As standard	£500	£1,000
58%	Superior	£10,000,000	Not covered	£1,000	£5,000
57%	Superior	£15,000,000	Not covered	£1,000	£5,000
57%	Superior	£10,000,000	Optional extra	£500	£2,500
57%	Superior	£12,500,000	Not covered	£500	£3,000
57%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£300	£3,000
57%	Superior	£10,000,000	Not covered	£300	£5,000
57%	Superior	£12,500,000	Not covered	£1,000	£5,000
56%	Low	£20,000,000	Not covered	£1,000	£5,000
56%	Superior	£10,000,000	Not covered	£500	£3,000
56%	Low	£10,000,000	Optional extra	£750	£5,000
56%	Low	£10,000,000	Optional extra	£750	£5,000
56%	Superior	£10,000,000	Not covered	£1,000	£3,000
56%	Superior	£10,000,000	Not covered	£500	£1,000
56%	Superior	£10,000,000	Not covered	Not covered	£5,000
56%	Superior	£10,000,000	Not covered	£800	£2,000
56%	Basic	£10,000,000	As standard	£500	£2,500
55%	Low	£10,000,000	Not covered	£750	£5,000
55%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£300	£3,000
55%	Basic	£10,000,000	As standard	£1,000	£5,000
55%	Low	£7,500,000	As standard	£600	£3,000
55%	Superior	£5,000,000	Not covered	£1,000	£2,500
55%	Superior	£20,000,000	Not covered	£750	£3,000
55%	Superior	£20,000,000	Not covered	£750	£3,000
54%	Superior	£20,000,000	Not covered	£750	£3,000
54%	Low	£15,000,000	Not covered	£750	£2,500
54%	Basic	£10,000,000	Optional extra	£500	£5,000
54%	Low	£10,000,000	Not covered	£750	£5,000
53%	Low	£10,000,000	Optional extra	£500	£2,500
53%	Low	£10,000,000	Not covered	£800	£2,000
53%	Superior	£5,000,000	Not covered	£500	£3,000
53%	Low	£10,000,000	As standard	£100	£1,000
53%	Superior	£5,000,000	As standard	Not covered	£1,000
52%	Superior (inc. Enhanced COVID-19 Cover add-on) Low (without the Enhanced COVID-19 Cover add-on)	£7,500,000	Not covered	£1,000	£1,500
52%	Low	£10,000,000	Not covered	£100	£1,250

Policy Score	Covid-19 rating (What's this?) How well a policy covers you for typical coronavirus-related disruption. Ratings run from basic (worst) to low, superior and complete (best).	Medical expenses	Airline failure	Missed departure	Cancellation limit
52%	Superior	£10,000,000	Not covered	£500	£2,000
52%	Low	£10,000,000	Not covered	£750	£2,000
51%	Superior	£5,000,000	Optional extra	£250	£1,000
51%	Low	£5,000,000	As standard	£300	£500 (cancellation) / £1,000 (curtailment)
51%	Low	£10,000,000	Not covered	£500	£3,000
50%	Low	£10,000,000	Optional extra	£500	£3,000
50%	Low	£10,000,000	Optional extra	£500	£3,000
50%	Superior	£10,000,000	Not covered	£500	£2,500
50%	Superior	£5,000,000	Not covered	£500	£500 / £1,000 - £3,000 (optional extra)
49%	Superior	£5,000,000	Not covered	£250	£1,000
49%	Superior	£5,000,000	Not covered	Not covered	£1,000
49%	Superior	£7,500,000	Not covered	£500	£2,000
48%	Low	£10,000,000	Not covered	£500	£2,500
47%	Low	£10,000,000	Not covered	£500	£1,000
47%	Superior	£5,000,000	Not covered	£500	£1,500
47%	Low	£8,000,000	Not covered	£500	£2,000
47%	Low	£5,000,000	Not covered	£1,000	£1,000
47%	Low	£10,000,000	Not covered	£250	£2,000
47%	Basic	£5,000,000	Optional extra	£250	£2,000
46%	Basic	£5,000,000	As standard	£500	£1,000
46%	Low	£10,000,000	Optional extra	£200	£1,000
46%	Superior	Unlimited	Not covered	Not covered	£1,000
44%	Superior	£20,000,000	Not covered	£500	£1,000
44%	Superior	£7,500,000	Not covered	£250	£1,250
42%	Low	£2,000,000	Not covered	Not covered	£1,000
42%	Superior	£20,000,000	Not covered	£500	£1,000
42%	Superior	£5,000,000	Not covered	£250	£1,000
41%	Superior	£20,000,000	Not covered	£500	£1,000
41%	Low	£10,000,000	Not covered	£100	£1,000
39%	Low	£5,000,000	Optional extra	Not covered	£1,250
39%	Low	£5,000,000	Not covered	£250	£1,000
37%	Superior	£2,000,000	Not covered	£500	£1,000
37%	Low	£5,000,000	Not covered	Not covered	£750
35%	Basic	£5,000,000	Not covered	Not covered	£1,500

These details were initially gathered between April and May 2021. We update the information as we become aware of changes, but strongly recommend checking directly with the insurer before buying a policy. We will next update our tables in June 2022. All ratings are for policies available to new customers at the time the data was collected.

In July 2021, Travel Insurance Facilities - an insurance company which underwrites the cover for many travel insurance brands - temporarily paused sales of policies to new customers (existing customers continue to be covered). We've removed the affected policies from our tables.

Find out more: check our in-depth reviews for detailed breakdowns of cover

Which policies offer the best coronavirus (Covid-19) cover?

If Covid-19 interferes with your holiday plans or travel, almost all policies offer some protection - but the extent varies wildly, and it can be far from clear what different providers mean by 'Covid cover'.

To help, we've rated the levels of Covid protection offered by over 80 insurers, and have awarded Which? Covid-cover ratings to each. The policies detailed have received one of four ratings: Basic, Low, Superior and Complete.

The best and worst policies for Covid cover

Brand	Policy names	Covid-19 rating (What's this?) How well a policy covers you for typical coronavirus-related disruption. Ratings run from basic (worst) to low, superior and complete (best).
Barclays Bank	Travel Pack	Complete
Churchill	Travel insurance	Complete
Direct Line	Travel insurance	Complete
HSBC	Select and Cover	Complete
Nationwide Building Society	Flex Plus Account	Complete

Brand	Policy names	Covid-19 rating (What's this?) How well a policy covers you for typical coronavirus-related disruption. Ratings run from basic (worst) to low, superior and complete (best).
AA	Bronze Silver Gold	Superior
AllClear	Gold Gold Plus Platinum	Superior
Allianz Assistance	Bronze Silver Gold	Superior
Annual Travel Insurance	Economy Super Super Plus	Superior
Avanti	Essentials Classic Deluxe	Superior
AXA	Bronze Silver Gold	Superior
Just Travel Cover - AXA Free To Travel	Bronze Silver Gold	Superior
Cedartree	Silver Gold Platinum	Superior
Co-op Insurance	Bronze Silver Gold Platinum	Superior
Cover For You	Silver Gold Platinum	Superior
Elect Travel	Silver Gold Platinum	Superior
ERGO More info All policies receive a Low COVID rating without the Enhanced COVID-19 Cover add on	Medi-Care Element inc. Enhanced COVID-19 Cover add on Medi-Care Protect inc. Enhanced COVID-19 Cover add on Medi-Care Optimum inc. Enhanced COVID-19 Cover add on	Superior
Exodus	Travel Insurance	Superior
Getcover	Bronze Silver Gold	Superior
GreatCover	Essential Super Super Plus	Superior
Halifax	Ultimate Reward Current Account	Superior
Hays Travel	Silver Gold	Superior
Holiday Extras	Gold Platinum	Superior
InsureandGo	Budget Silver Gold Black	Superior
Insure For Travel	Emerald Diamond Diamond Plus	Superior
Jet2.com	Super Plus	Superior
Jet2Holidays	Super Cover	Superior
Jet2Insurance	Essential, Super, Super Plus	Superior
Leisure Guard	Standard Premier Premier Plus	Superior
Lloyds Bank	Platinum Private Banking Mayfair Private Banking Island Gold Island Premier	Superior
Love Holidays	Premier	Superior
LV	Essential Premier	Superior
Multitrip	Essential Premier Premier Plus	Superior
Puffin	Silver Gold Platinum	Superior
Staysure	Basic Comprehensive	Superior
Tesco Bank	Economy Standard Premier	Superior
Trailfinders	Travel Insurance	Superior
TUI	Direct Retail	Superior
Virgin Atlantic	Travel Insurance	Superior
Virgin Money	Red Silver Gold Black	Superior

Brand	Policy names	Covid-19 rating (What's this?) How well a policy covers you for typical coronavirus-related disruption. Ratings run from basic (worst) to low, superior and complete (best).
Admiral	Travel Insurance Gold Platinum	Low
Just Travel Cover - Avion	Bronze Silver Gold	Low
BigBlueCover	Economy Standard Premier	Low
Clear2Go	Clear2Go	Low
Columbus Direct	Bronze Silver Gold	Low
Cover Cloud	Bronze Silver Gold	Low
Direct Travel	Standard Premier Premier Plus	Low
Just Travel Cover - Holiday Angel	Bronze Silver Gold	Low
Insured to Travel	Silver Gold	Low
Insurefor	Standard Premier Ultimate	Low
InsuranceWith	Emerald	Low
On the Beach	Gold Cover	Low
Post Office	Economy Standard Premier	Low
RAC	Orange Silver Black	Low
Just Travel Cover - Ready2Go	Bronze Silver Gold	Low
Saga	Travel Insurance Select	Low
Sainsburys Bank	Silver Gold Platinum	Low
Travel Insurance Saver	Bronze Silver Gold	Low
Travel Plus	Essential Premier Premier Plus	Low
TravelTime	Economy Premier Premier Plus	Low
Just Travel Cover - Unity Travel	Bronze Silver Gold	Low
Zurich	Basic Standard Extra	Low

Brand	Policy names	Covid-19 rating (What's this?) How well a policy covers you for typical coronavirus-related disruption. Ratings run from basic (worst) to low, superior and complete (best).
Allsafe	Standard Standard Plus	Basic
Just Travel Cover - Arch	Bronze Silver Gold	Basic
Direct Travel	Budget	Basic
Holiday Extras	Bronze Silver	Basic
NFU Mutual	Home and Lifestyle	Basic

These details were initially gathered between April and May 2021. We update the information as we become aware of changes, but strongly recommend checking directly with the insurer before buying a policy. All ratings are for policies available to new customers at the time the data was collected.

What our Covid ratings show and don't show

Our ratings are intended to give a general idea of how extensive each policy's Covid cover is, and key areas in which policies differ.

To derive them, we've examined which policies provide cover under five specific scenarios - a customer requiring emergency medical treatment while travelling, needing to cancel because of a positive test, having to cancel due to being instructed to self-isolate without a positive test (for example, being contacted by NHS Test and Trace), and cancelling because of changes in FCDO advice or a lockdown where they live.

The ratings don't cover other potential ways the pandemic could interfere with travel. There can likewise be differences, with some areas of cover, between policies that have the same Covid rating. This means it's crucial to check the terms of any policy before buying it to make sure it's appropriate to you - as there will always be some restrictions.

Find out more: Members can view more detail about cover in our reviews

What Covid cover is available?

Practically all policies provide cover for a coronavirus-related medical emergency (Basic cover) - but around one in seven won't cover cancellation if it's connected to the pandemic.

Most also provide some element of cancellation cover if you can't go on your trip because you've been diagnosed with Covid-19 (Low cover).

Much rarer are policies providing cancellation cover if you can't go on your trip because you've been told to self-isolate without having tested positive - for example if you've been instructed to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace (Superior cover).

Five firms confirmed they offer Complete cover, which means you can claim if you can't go on your holiday due to a change in advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO - formerly the FCO) or because of a regional or national lockdown.

In both cases, these must be new advice or restrictions - i.e. not in place when the insurance was purchased or the holiday booked (whichever is later).

Find out more: check the latest FCDO advice

Will travel insurance cover changes to the government's traffic light system?

Whether your destination is on the green, amber or red list will have an effect on measures you'll need to take and costs you may have to pay when travelling internationally or on your return to the UK. Countries can change lists with little or no warning.

At present, even the most comprehensive travel insurance policies are unlikely to be able to cover you against all potential costs - or your decision to cancel a trip if your destination is moved between lists. However, as the situation is complex and evolving, you should check directly with the insurer.

Find out more: the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic and travel insurance

How else can you protect your holiday?

When it comes to Covid-19, for now, most insurance won't do the full job of protecting your travel plans.

This means you should consider supplementing it with other protections. It's also important to note that travel insurers expect you to claim with them only if you can't recover your money through other channels.

Package holiday companies

If a package holiday firm cancels your holiday, or airlines can't fulfil flights, you're entitled to a refund by law.

Unfortunately, in the wake of Covid-19, not all travel providers fulfilled their legal obligations. For peace of mind, choose a firm that is one of our Which? Recommended Providers.

Find out more: Your legal rights with package holiday companies

ATOL protection

If you buy a package holiday that includes flights from an ATOL protected firm, you'll get your money back if it goes bust. You'll also be repatriated if this happens while you're on holiday.

Find out more: how do I know if my holiday is ATOL protected?

Your credit card provider

If you can, pay for your holiday with a credit card.

If you pay with a credit card for services costing more than £100 and less than £30,000 that aren't provided as advertised, you can claim the money back from your card supplier if the seller (ie the holiday company) won't refund you.

Find out more: Section 75

Your bank

Banks have similar schemes to help you recover money for services that haven't been fulfilled as paid for. These are known as 'chargeback'.

Chargeback can be used to recover debit and prepaid card payments, as well as credit card payments below £100.

Banks aren't legally bound to do this in the same way credit card providers are under Section 75, so you should always pay for amounts over £100 with a credit card if possible.

Find out more: how to use chargeback

How we find the best travel insurance policies

In April and May 2021 we surveyed 86 insurance companies about 52 different areas of cover from each of their policies. We analysed the data and awarded each policy a Policy Score.

A high score indicates that overall, the policy has comparatively high levels of cover. However, when using our tables, you should bear in mind the following:

Travel insurance is complex - which means that even if a policy has a high score, it may not include certain elements of cover that you're looking for. You can see at a glance in our tables how policies compare for Covid cover and a selection of other key features - but for detailed breakdowns of how providers have earned their policy scores, see our full travel insurance reviews.
The Policy Score doesn't examine the insurers' customer service or how much their policies cost.
The data was collected in April and May 2021 and we'll continue to update it as we become aware of changes. However, we recommend confirming directly with the providers before buying.